Lions are looking to rebound

Thursday

After last week’s 24-7 loss to Murdock, the West Boylston/Tahanto Regional High School football team will look to rebound on Friday night against St. Bernard’s.

The Lions will host the Central Mass. Conference (CMC) and Division 4 Bernardians in a non-league contest. Game time is 7 p.m.

St. Bernard’s was hammered last week by CMC opponent Holy Name, 34-7. The Napoleons are a Division 2 team.

According to press reports, five St. Bernard’s players were injured in the game, with three being taken away in ambulances. Due to the injuries, the game was ended in the third quarter.

The Bernardians are 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in the CMC. They own a victory over Millbury, and lost their home opener to Oakmont.

“They (St. Bernard’s) run a two-back (formation) and have a good running back in Cody Titus,” West Boylston/Tahanto coach Dave Tinglof said. “We’ll see what happens, and we’ll try to regroup at home.”

Turnovers, penalties and the strong running of Murdock senior halfback Travis Arsenault were the undoing of West Boylston/Tahanto last Friday night.

The Lions’ loss to the Blue Devils in a Midland-Wachusett League D Division contest was their first of the season.

With the loss, the Lions own a 2-1 overall record and are 0-1 in the league. Murdock improves to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the league.

Playing on a waterlogged field in a driving rainstorm, West Boylston/Tahanto got off to a slow start in the first quarter, with the Blue Devils controlling the ball for 10 of the frame’s 11 minutes.

After the Lions received the kickoff, they fumbled on their own 41-yard line, giving Murdock great field position.

The Blue Devils drove, in seven plays, to the West Boylston/Tahanto 14, before the Lions’ defense, led by senior captain and linebacker Colby Bostek, senior defensive end Kyle Barrows, junior defensive end Matt Loureiro, and sophomore defensive back Devin Desautels, stopped the Murdock advance.

With 5:29 left in the first quarter, Blue Devils kicker Pat Culverhouse split the uprights from 31 yards out for a field goal.

Leading 3-0, Murdock went for an onside kick, and the Blue Devils recovered the ball at midfield.

Murdock’s drive was stopped at the Lions’ 27 by a strong West Boylston/Tahanto defense. Junior linebacker Mike Pace and sophomore defensive back Bryan Hayes had key tackles for the Lions.

The Blue Devils turned the ball over on downs but, seconds later, West Boylston/Tahanto gave the ball back on a fumble, its second of the quarter.

In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Desautels picked off Murdock quarterback Pat Connor’s over-the-middle pass attempt. The Lions then took the ball from their own 20 and marched to the Blue Devils’ 32 before being stopped on downs.

Murdock started from its own 32 and drove to the end zone in eight plays. Culverhouse kicked the extra point, and the Blue Devils owned a 10-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Murdock tried another squib kick, but the Lions recovered at their 35.

Aided by a 32-yard pass play from senior quarterback and captain Dan Polnerow to senior split end Joe Dankwah, West Boylston/Tahanto drove to the Blue Devils’ 1-yard line in eight plays.

On first and goal from the one, Polnerow plunged to pay dirt behind the block of junior lineman Tyler O’Day.

O’Day booted the point after to make it 10-7 at the half.

Arsenault rushed for 182 yards in the game, including a 58-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave Murdock a 17-7 lead.

Another Lions fumble in the fourth quarter led to Arsenault’s second touchdown of the game and the final score.

Senior fullback Shawn Harlow was the leading ground gainer for West Boylston/Tahanto.

A pass interference penalty in the second quarter hurt the Lions on a drive deep in Murdock territory. Also, roughing the kicker and procedure penalties in the third quarter slowed the Lions advance on their two possessions in that frame.

“Too many turnovers,” Tinglof said. “We couldn’t do anything to stop them on offense.

“They scored 17 points on our turnovers,” he said. “When you give up that many points on turnovers, you don’t win.”

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